Take a paper airplane and bend the nose to the left. When you throw it, you know it’s going to veer left. To make it fly straight again, the nose must be perfectly lined up with the rest of the airplane. Hunting arrows work the same way. If the broadhead isn’t well constructed, or is pointed slightly to the side because of a bad insert, the arrow will veer off-line.

To make sure that every arrow in your quiver hits the same exact spot, you have to be extremely precise when aligning all the components. Of course, your shafts need to be straight. For this reason, it’s best to save a few new shafts for hunting season. With today’s press-in nock systems, the nock is rarely a concern. However, as mentioned, the broadhead and insert are the real troublemakers.

The best way to check head alignment is with a special fixture. You can easily make your own by taking a medium-sized cardboard box and notching out two opposing sides (about a foot apart) so you can rest the arrow in the notches.

As you slowly turn the arrow, compare the tip of the broadhead to some kind of grounded reference point. A pencil mark on the back of a ruler or board works fine. The tip of the broadhead has to remain perfectly in place relative to the reference point as the arrow turns. If it ascribes even a small circle, set it aside.

If, after testing all your arrows, you have enough straight ones for hunting, you’re all set. If not, you’ll need to do a little more work. Swap out your broadheads with a few others to make sure the head isn’t causing the problem. If it is, it’s time to invest in some new broadheads (I’ve had great luck with Rocky Mountain Broadheads. There are several other quality brands as well.) If not, the problem is with your inserts. You can either fine-tune their alignment by heating the end of the arrow with a torch and repositioning the insert (assuming hot melt glue was used to install them), or you can simply replace them with inserts of better quality. Aluminum inserts from Easton and composite inserts from Arizona Archery Enterprises have worked well for me.

By combining a well-tuned bow with perfectly tuned arrows, you will enjoy pinpoint accuracy with almost any well-made broadhead, even at relatively high arrow speeds.